Carton



Patented Mar. 22, 1932 :PIIILII` n, SIIY'IIIE, or AKRON, IOWA cAnToNApplication med March 27, 1981. Serial No; 525,687.

UNITEDs'rATEs PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to cartons of the typehaving hinged flaps for closing the carton and more particularly to thattype of carton which is made of heavy paper.

The basic object in my invention is to provide a foldable carton whichis of very strong, durable, and comparatively inexpensive construction.The strength in the carton is attained by a novel construction wherein apartition member and the opening liaps of the carton are provided withmeans for interlocking when the carton is closed whereby the flaps andthe partition serve to brace and rigidify the structure of the entirecarton.

` Another object of the invention is to provide a carton which is`particularly adaptable for use in transporting eggs and which can befoldedwhen not in use. This involves the problem of making a cartonsuiciently strong so that it can be made large enough to accommodate agross of eggs. Another object of the invention is to provide a carton ofthe type mentioned above which can be very easily opened or locked intoclosed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carton which can behandled roughly without injuring the locking mechanism.

With these and other objects in view, my

invention consists in the construction, ar-

rangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby theobjects con- The carton comprises parallel side members 10, parallel endmembers 11, side flaps 12 hinged to the sides 10, and end flaps 13hinged to the end walls 11.

The preferable method of constructing the 65.

carton is to employ heavy cardboard of the type used in the ordinarypaper carton, the hinges between the side walls 10 and flaps 12 and endwalls 11 and flaps 13 being formed by creasing and bending, the flapsbeing formed integrally with their respective wall members.

It will be understood, however, that the present invention in itsbroadest aspect is not limited to the use of cardboard or the forming ofthe hinges by bending and creasing, but that other materials such aswood might be employed in the carton and the hinges might be formedeither in wood or in paper by other equivalent means, such as the use ofmetal hinges.

Where the carton is used as an egg crate,

When the carton is folded, the Vhinges between the partition 14 and theflaps 15 allow templated are attained, as hereinafter more fully setforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carton, partly opened,

al view through the carton taken on the line 2-2-of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detailed enlargement of a portion of Figure 2,. Figure 4is a plan view of the carton in partially folded position,

Figure 5 is a det on the line 5-5 of Figure l, and

Figure 6 is a detail, plan view ofthe central portion of thecartonillustrating the of the carton. locking means in position. I, v

ail, sectional -view taken the partition 14 to fold to a parallelposition between the walls 10 wherein the walls 10 rest flatly againstthe partition. v In this position, the flaps 12 and 13 may be allowed toproject 'in the plane of their respective Walls,

or may be folded back upon their respective Figure 2 is a vertical,longitudinal, sectionwalls.

The flaps 15.are secured to the side walls 10 by any conventionalsecuring means, suchl as with clinched clips or staples 16.

The flaps 12 are each a trifle less than onehalf the width of the endWalls 11 and the flaps 13 are each a trifle less than the length of theside walls 10,.whereby the respective pairs of flaps will come togetherat their free edges'to form two complete double closures The side flaps12 are adapted to under-lie 10 the end flaps 13 and are provided withslots 17 positioned to receive yokes 18 secured to the partition 14 andprojecting beyond the edges thereof. It may now be noted that theengagement of the yokes 18 in the slots 17 will secure the partition 14in a position at right angles to the side walls 10, thereby causing thecarton to assume the rectangular shape and bracing the carton in thatshape.

The bracing eii'ect thus produced is supplemented by the engagement ofthe yokes 18 with the locking channels 19 and 20 respectively, securedto the aps 13.

The construction of these channels is illustrated clearly in the detailview in Figure 3, the partition being too small to show in detail inFigure 2. Figure 3 is thus merely a du-A plication of those parts whichdo not show clearly in Figure 2.

Each channel comprises a channel portion 20 or 19 respectively, and aflange 21 secured as at 22 to its respective flap 13. The channels 19,-20 project beyond the edges of the flaps 13 and are depressed so as tolie substantially in the planes of the respective flaps, the channel 20being of sufficient depth to rest against the upper surface of the flaps12 when the carton is closed, and the channel 19 being slightlyshallower and narrower so as to be receivable in the channel 20 asclearly'illustrated in Figure 3.

vThe channels 19, 20 are provided with registering slots 23, receivingthe yokes 18. The yokes are of sufficient height to project above thechannel 19 a suflicient distance so that a locking bolt 24 may beinserted beneath the yoke and above the channel 19.

The bolt 24 is provided with a handle 25 to facilitate its manipulation.

It will now be seen that the locking of the channels together, serves adual purpose, namely;

1. That of supplementing the bracing between the flaps 12 and thepartition 14, and

2. That of securely locking the flaps together against separationwhereby to brace the end walls of the carton against outward pressure.

The partition member serves to brace the side wall against spreadingpressure and this bracing action is supplemented by the locking of theflaps 12 relative to the partition, whereby any spreading pressureexerted against the side walls 10 will be transmitted to the partitionthrough the medium of the yokes 18 as well as to the hinges.

The spreading pressure at the -upper -and lower extremities of thecarton will thus be borne primarily by the yokes 18 instead of by thehinges and the latter need serve to function only in the intermediateregions of the ,i side walls.

Both the upper and lowerA extremities of the carton are provided withthe flap and locking construction just described, in order that thecarton may be folded to a flat pack- This type of carton of course willnot be foldable, although it possesses the advantages of bracing theupper region of the carton and of greatly improved durability and easeof handling. It will be understood that equivalent means secured to theflaps 13 for receiving the yokes 18, and equivalent devices for theyokes 18 may be employed without departing from the true spirit ofmyinvention and it is my purpose to covernot only such modiications ashave beensuggested herein but also other equivalents for the variouselements of my invention such as may be embodied within the true spiritand purpose thereof.

I claim as my invention:

-1. In a receptacle, parallel side walls, parallel end walls hinged tothe side walls, a partition hin ed to the side walls and parallel to theen walls, projecting yokes secured to said partition, side flaps hingedto the side walls and perforated to receive said yokes, end flaps hingedto the end walls and provided with overlapping means perforated toreceive said yokes, and a locking bolt receivable through the yokes andabove said overlapping means.

2. In a collapsible receptacle, parallel side walls, parallel end wallshinged tothe side walls, a partition hinged to the side walls andparallel to the end walls, projecting yokes secured to said partition atits upper and lower extremities, side flaps hinged to the upper andlower extremities of the side walls and erforated to receive said yokes,end fiapsiinged to the upper and lower extremities of the end walls andprovided with overlapping means perforated to receive said yokes, andlocking bolts receivable through the yokes and above said overlappingmeans.

3. In a collapsible receptacle, parallel side walls, parallel end wallshinged to the side walls, a partition hinged to the side walls andparallel to the end walls, projecting yokes secured to the upper andlower extremities of the partition. side flaps hinged to the upper andlower extremities of lthe side walls and perforated to receive saidokes, and a locklng bolt receivable throng the yokes above sald sideflaps.

4. In a collapsible receptacle, parallel side walls, parallel end wallshinged to the side walls, a partition hinged to the side walls andparallel to the end walls, projecting yokes secured to the upper/andlower extremities of the partition, end flaps hinged to the upper andlower extremities of the end walls and provided with overlapping meansperforated to receive said yokes, and a locking bolt receivable throughthe yokes and above said overlapping means.

5. In a collapsible receptacle, parallel side walls, parallel end wallshinged to the side Walls, a partition hinged to the side walls andparallel to the end walls, projecting yokes secured to the upper andlower extremities of the partition, end flaps hinged to the upper andlower extremities of the end walls and provided with overlappingchannels perforated to receive said yokes, and a locking bolt receivablethrough the yokes .and in said overlapping channels.

6. In a receptacle, side and end walls and a. partition dividing thereceptacle into two compartments, yokes secured to the partition andprojecting thereabove, flaps hinged to opposite walls and perforated toreceive said yokes, and a locking bolt receivable through the yokes andabove said flaps.

7. In a. receptacle, side and end walls, a partition dividing thereceptacle into two compartments, yokes secured to the partition andprojecting thereabove, end flaps hinged to opposite walls and providedwith overlapping members perforated to receive said yokes, and a lockingbolt receivable through Jhe yokes and above said overlapping memers.

8. Ina receptacle, parallel side walls, parallel end walls, a partitiondividing the receptacle into two compartments and parallel to the endWalls, projecting yokes secured to said partition, side flaps hinged tothe side Walls and perforated to receive said yokes, end flaps hinged tothe end walls and provided with overlapping means perforated to receivesaid yokes, and a locking bolt receivable through the yokes and abovesaid overlapping means.

Signed at Sioux City, Iowa, this 25th day of March, 1931.

PHILIP R. SMYTHE.

